The
Federal Bureau of Investigation today released the 2017 edition of its
Crime in the United States (CIUS) report, a part of the FBI’s Uniform
Crime Reports (UCR). The report, which covers January-December
2017, reflects that after two consecutive, historic increases in violent
crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration the nationwide
violent crime rate began to decline. The report estimates that
the nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent
in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and
a half percent.

“After historic increases in violent crime in 2015 and 2016, we are
beginning to see encouraging signs,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions
said. “But our work is not done. While we have made progress, violent
crime and drug trafficking continue to plague our communities and
destroy the lives of innocent, law-abiding Americans. Under the Trump
administration, the Department of Justice has restored common sense
criminal charging and sentencing policies, surged resources to
jurisdictions facing some of the highest levels of violence and drug
abuse, targeted enforcement efforts against the most violent offenders,
and developed innovative approaches to address pervasive crime problems.
And we are continuing our steadfast commitment to work with our state,
local, and tribal partners across the country to confront the
lawlessness, deter violent crime, dismantle criminal organizations and
gangs, eradicate the scourge of drug trafficking, and restore the rule
of law. The American people deserve no less.”

The report released today also adjusts and corrects numbers for 2016,
showing that the nationwide homicide rate actually increased by 8.8
percent (as opposed to 7.9 percent, as previously reported) in 2016. In
2017, the rate of rapes increased by 2.2 percent, while the aggravated
assault rate increased by 0.3 percent and the robbery rate decreased by
4.7 percent. Aggravated assaults were 65 percent of violent crimes
reported to law enforcement in 2017, while robberies and rapes were 25.6
percent and 8 percent, respectively. Murder accounted for 1.4 percent
of violent crimes reported to law enforcement in 2017.